Why Would God Allow Natural Disasters?
Dealing with the Aftermath of a Hurricane
Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina like a freight train, leaving behind a trail of destruction. In the blink of an eye, homes, businesses, and whole communities were swept away by raging floodwaters.
[Related reading: How To Help Those Impacted By Hurricane Helene]
And while the losses are staggering, it’s the stories of personal tragedy—the loved ones people couldn’t save—that are heartbreaking. I can’t imagine the agony of standing by, helpless, seeing lives lost as the storm raged on. That’s not an easy image to get out of your head.
In the aftermath, as the nation shifts through the wreckage, I observed how different people reacted in various ways. Some people are quick to point to climate change as the cause, saying that the fury of storms like Helene is a direct consequence of our abuse of the earth.
Others lash out at the government, angry at what they see as an inadequate response. There are reports that FEMA is underfunded and ill-prepared to properly help these victims, all while the government throws money at other priorities. A few people are perpetuating the idea that the deep state directed this storm into North Carolina to affect the 2024 presidential election. (I remind myself just because a politician says something doesn’t make it true.)
We should hold the federal government accountable for its actions or lack thereof, but if you’re waiting for them to swoop in and save the day, don’t hold your breath.
There’s something that always catches my attention in moments like this:
Every time there is a disaster, people of faith show up. Again and again.
When disaster strikes, these people are among those who run in, chainsaws in hand, ready to clear fallen trees, hand out food and water, or offer financial support to organizations that are making a real difference. I couldn’t be prouder of the men and women representing Jesus as they throw themselves into helping people they’ve never met.
But let’s be honest. As great as it is to see people step up, it still leaves a lingering, nagging question:
Why would God allow this to happen in the first place?
Wouldn’t it be better if there were no Hurricane Helene? No raging storms or devastating earthquakes? It’s a question that doesn’t go away, whether you’ve been following Jesus for five minutes or fifty years.
Why would God allow natural disasters and other forms of suffering that seem unrelated to human actions?
The Bible doesn’t hand us a clear, one-size-fits-all answer for why terrible things happen—like natural disasters, diseases, and suffering. But it does give us a framework to see the bigger picture. We live in a world that’s undeniably broken, where things go wrong all the time, and yet, somehow, God is still the supreme authority.
It’s messy, it’s hard to grasp, and it doesn’t always make sense. But underneath it all, there’s this promise of hope.
Knowing that one day, things will be made right. Trusting that even in the chaos, God is still at work, patching up the cracks and making something beautiful out of it all.
Suffering Entered the World Through Sin
In the book of Genesis, we learn that when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, everything changed. Sin entered the world, and the created order was affected. The Apostle Paul explains it this way:
“For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.” (Romans 8:22)
This implies that even nature is impacted by sin. Natural disasters are part of the brokenness of the world resulting from the fall. Creation didn’t do anything wrong, but it’s been swept up in this brokenness, too.
Like a woman in labor, creation is groaning through the pain, waiting for something better to come—a new life, a new world.
In the same way, followers of Jesus feel this tension. Paul continues to explain that even those of us who follow Jesus, who have the Holy Spirit inside us, are still waiting for something more.
We have a glimpse of the future glory, but we aren’t fully there yet. Our bodies still break down, our hearts still ache, and we’re still waiting for that day when God will finish what He started. When everything will be made new, including us. (Read Romans 8:18-25)
But we’re not there yet. Today, we’re living in the “in-between,” waiting for the full restoration of the world. This tension isn’t a flaw in the system but part of the process. The pain, the brokenness, the hurricanes, the suffering—they’re all signs that this world isn’t the final version.
Hope: Hold On Past Everything
So, what do we do with this? We hold onto hope. Not the kind of hope that’s just wishful thinking, but a deep, patient hope in what God promises is coming. Paul says it’s a hope we can’t fully see yet.
I’ve found it’s tough to trust in something I can’t see or fully understand. It’s like waiting for spring in the dead of winter. You know it’s coming, but it feels so far away sometimes. But it’s what gives us the strength to get through the hard stuff.
Hope tells us that Hurricane Helene and every other disaster aren’t the end of the story. This world, in all its chaos and brokenness, isn’t the final act. There’s something better coming, something worth waiting for.
And in the meantime, we show up. We do what we can. We love Jesus, we serve others, we rebuild, and we live out the hope that says this isn’t all there is. Because deep down, we know something better is on the way.
Life is a gift!
— Matt